Actress urges USDA to fund plant-based ag

Actress urges USDA to fund plant-based ag
May 25, 2020

Alicia Silverstone released a video with Mercy for Animals

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A Hollywood actress is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to change how it supports producers.

Alicia Silverstone, in partnership with Mercy for Animals, is calling on the USDA to help livestock, poultry and dairy farmers transition to plant-based protein production.

COVID-19 has caused numerous challenges in the ag industry. Meat processors, for example, have scaled back production to help ensure employee safety.

These measures have created backlogs on farms and, in some cases, necessitated the euthanization of livestock.

The federal government has announced the investment of billions of dollars to help producers and processors navigate these unprecedented challenges.

But the USDA should invest in alternative proteins instead, Silverstone says.

“We need to use taxpayer dollars to transition away from this cruel system and instead help farmers transition to growing plant-based foods,” she says in the video.

Farms.com has reached out to industry groups for comment.



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Comments (5)

It is commercial livestock industries, the big boys, that ya'll speak of. Majority of all small farmers are very caring for their livestock. They go the extra mile and to lump them with industrialized, corporation farming is shameful! Most farms were put on the spot, they were told, before all this got out of hand, they were fore-warned to decrease production, cull ,dry up , get rid/kill animals because of what was coming. Go after these people who knew and didn't care what would happen to the animals or farmers that care for them. Or, the American people who would suffer from food shortages..that these politically driven folks caused even when food is still there. Good farmers spend YEARS improving their livestock just to have it all taken away! These people are some of the hardest workers you will ever find! Producing a product that is necessary, long hours and no vacations! So under appreciated! This is not their desire, they are being forced, their income is gone , farmers will commit suicide over this! The other option is to see animals starve to death! The other thing you need to know...watch the show "Madison Brown". Her uncle, one of the stars from the "Brady Bunch" talked to a scientist about everyone going "vegan". The scientist replied that going straight "plant based" food will leave a BIGGER FOOTPRINT on our world than still having "meat based" foods. Plant based only foods will increase the carbon footprint tremendously. Chemicals will have to be increased since cow manure will not be available, thus, yeah, more chemicals in our bodies, yeah! increase in health problems! Do ya'll work for the drug industry? Chemicals to grow, GMO seeds. Can't ya'll go after the cruel farmer/rancher/slaughter houses that ARE THE PROBLEM than those that carefully raise their livestock. Good farmers care for their livestock, to be cruel producers makes a poor product.....can't make money that way. They need the help, their income is hurting and they have families to
Fed Up with the Clueless |Jun 1 2020 1:35AM
What did they eat 2000 yrs ago?
Bjay |May 26 2020 6:45PM
Alicia Silverstone seems to forget that its the regular people who support Hollywood through going and send the movies and running videos. These same people get a little bit of money under their belt and then they think the have the right to go around trying to tell everybody else how to live. As far as I'm concerned if she wants to eat vegetables and be a vegetarian that's fine with me but leave all the rest of us alone that want to eat meat. I got a question for her.... is she justifying the killing of plants as less cruel than killing animals. These Vegans don't realize that plants are alive and living just like animals. If killing animals is so cruel, killing plants are just as cruel but their self-righteousness is blinding them to the truth. Boycott Hollywood!
George |May 26 2020 6:28PM
How about when the government bailed out the auto industry and we still all drive cars,with all the pollution
Mark Schouten |May 26 2020 1:06PM
Not happening nobody's putting that crap in my food
Joe |May 26 2020 9:47AM

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